Part 6

[Sidenote: A monarchie preferred of the Persians[.]] The nobilitée of Persia hauyng no kyng, linially des- cendyng, to rule that mightie dominion of Persia, Cambises beyng dedde, the vsurper murthered, thei tooke counsaill in their assemble, what state of gouernment was beste, thei ha- uyng the profe of a Monarchie: in their longe counsaill, thei knewe the felicitie of that state, thei knewe as it seemed, the perilous state of the other gouernmentes. If these noble and peres had been ambicious, and that eche of them would haue had felowshippe, or participacion in kyngdomes: thei would not haue preferred a Monarchie aboue the reste. The anti- quitie of that tyme sheweth, their personages, wisedome, grauitie, and maiestie was soche, that eche one of theim was mete for his vertues, to haue a whole kyngdome. If Aristo- cratia would haue contented them, then was tyme and occa- sion offered, no kyng remainyng to haue preferred that state. [Sidenote: The duetie of al noble peres[.]] But thei as vpright nobles, sincere and faithfull, hauyng al- together respecte to a publique wealthe: to a permanent state and felicitie of kingdome, sought no participacion by priuate wealthe, to dissolue this Monarchie. But thei beyng moste godlie, eche were content to proue, whose chaunce might be, to set vp againe that Monarchie. The kyngdome at the laste [Sidenote: Darius.] came to the handes of Darius, who was after kyng of the Persians. This is a goodly example, to shewe the worthines of a Monarchie, the Persian kingdome after many yeres de- clinyng, from his power and state, not for any faulte of go- [Sidenote: Kyngdomes rise and fall.] uernment, but God as he seeth tyme, raiseth vp kyngdomes and plucketh them doune. Afterward Darius the kyng, not able to make his parte good with Alexander the Greate: of- fered to hym the greatest parte of his kyngdome, euen to the flood of Euphrates, and offred his daughter to wife: Alexan- der was content to take the offer of Darius, so that he would bee seconde to hym, and not equall with hym in kyngdome. [Sidenote: The answer of Alexander to Darius, as co[n]cernyng a monarchie.] For, Alexander saied, that as the worlde can not bee gouer- ned with twoo Sunnes, neither the worlde can suffer twoo [Fol. xxiij.v] mightie kingdomes: wherupon it is manifest, that no king- dome will suffer equalitie or felowship, but that if the will & minde of Princes might brust out, the state of all the worlde, would bee in one mightie gouernours handes. For, alwaies [Sidenote: Alexa[n]der the great prefar- red a Mo- narchie.] Princes dooe seke to a sole regimente. Alexander the greate co[n]querour also, preferring for worthines a Monarchie, at the tyme of his death, demaunded who[m] he would haue to succede him in his mightie dominio[n]s, he by one signifiyng a Monar- chie, saiyng: _Dignissimus_, that is to saie, the worthiest. After [Sidenote: Alexanders monarchie fel by many kin- ges. Antipater. Crates. Meliagrus. Perdiccas. Ptolomeus. Learcus. Cassander. Menander. Leonatus. Lusimacus. Eumenes[.] Seleucus.] the death of Alexander, Antipater caught the gouernmente of Macedonia and Grece, and Crates was Treasurer. Me- leagrus and Perdiccas caught other of his dominions, then Ptolemeus possessed Egipte, Africa and a parte of Arabia, Learcus, Cassander, Mena[n]der, Leonatus, Lusimachus, Eu- menes, Seleucus and manie other, who were for their wor- thines in honor and estimacion with Alexander, caught in- to their handes other partes of his dominions, euerie one se- kyng for his time, his owne priuate glorie, dignitie, and ad- uauncemente, but not a publike wealthe, and so in fine, am- bicion broiled in their loftie stomackes, eche to attaine to o- thers honor. Whereupon bloodshed, destruction of the peo- ple and countries, the fall of these Princes ensued. So moche kingdomes hate equalitie or felowship: let vs laie before our [Sidenote: Fraunce. Spaine. Germanie. Britaine.] iyes, the kyngdomes nere at hand. Fraunce, from the tymes of Faramundus vntill this daie haue stoode, and did florishe in a Monarchie. The state of Spaine, from the tyme of the firste kyng, vntill this daie, hath florished continually in a Monarchie. The great seigniories of Germanie, by one suc- cedyng in gouernment, haue been permanent in that good- lie state. Our noble Isle of Britain from Brutus, hath stoode by a Monarchie: onely in those daies, the state of gouernme[n]t chaunged, at the commyng of Iulius Cesar, Emperour of Rome. The lande beyng at diuision, and discorde, through the diuersitie of diuerse kynges: so moche the state of diuerse kynges in one lande, is to be expelled, or the gouernment of [Fol. xxiiij.r] the base multitude, to haue vniuersally power of dominion, or the state of peres, to bee chief in regiment, no kyng lefte to commaunde ouer the people, and nobles, or els there can not be but discorde in thende, whiche pulleth doune moste migh- tie Regions and dominions, so that the beste state, the moste stedfaste and fortunate, is in all tymes, in all ages, in all la- wes, and common wealthes, where one king sekyng the ad- uauncement, wealthe, glorie, of hym and his people.

¶ The contrarie.

THat housholde or familie, can not be well gouerned, where many and diuerse beareth gouernment, nec- lectyng the state prosperous vniuersallie: for where obedience is drawen to diuers and many, there can not bee good gouernment, nor faithfull obedience. And so in a king- dome where one chiefly gouerneth, and to a common wealth there the hartes of the subiectes, be moste knitte to obaie.

¶ The similitude.

EUen as thei, whiche serue one maister, shall soneste with labour please, and with fidelitie, accomplishe his will and pleasure. For, the maners of many me[n] be diuerse, and variable, so in a Monarchie, the state of one is sone obaied, the minde and lawe of one Prince sone folowed, his Maiestie dreaded and loued.

¶ The example.

LET the fower chief Monarchies of the Assirian, the Persian, Grecian, and the Romaine, whiche haue continued from the beginnyng mightie, moste hap- pie, bee an example herein. If that state of gouernement, had not been chiefe of all other, those mightie kyngdomes would not haue preferred, that kinde of gouernment.

¶ The testimonie of auncient writers.

THerefore, Aristotle, Plato, and all the chief Philoso- phers, intreatyng of the administracion of a common wealthe: doe preferre before all states of gouernment [Fol. xxiiij.v] a Monarchie, bothe for the felicitie of it, and stedfaste state.

¶ The conclusion.

HOmere therefore deserueth greate commendacion, for this one sentence, whiche preferreth a Monarchie before all states.

¶ The destruccion.

THis exercise of _Rhetotike_, is called destruccion, or subuersion, because it is in a oracion, a certain re- prehension of any thyng declaimed, or dilated, in the whiche by order of art, the declaimer shall pro- cede to caste doune by force, and strengthe of reason, the con- trarie induced.

In this exercise of _Rhetorike_, those proposicions are to be subuerted, whiche are not manifeste true, neither it so repu- gnaunt from reason, as that there can appere no holde, to in- duce a probable reason to confounde thesame. But soche pro- posicions are meete for this parte, as are probable in both si- des, to induce probabilitie of argument, to reason therupon.

1. It shall behoue you firste, for the entryng of this matter, to adde a reprehension there against those, whiche haue con- firmed as a truthe, that, whiche you will confute.

2. In thesame place, adde the exposion, and meanyng of his sentence.

3. Thirdly, shew the matter to be obsure, that is vncertain[.]

4. Incrediblie.

5. Impossible.

6. Not agreyng to any likelihode of truthe.

7. Uncomlie to be talked of.

8. Unprofitable.

This exercise of _Rhetorike_ doeth contain in it al strength of arte, as who should saie, all partes of _Rhetorike_, maie co- piouslie be handled in this parte, called confutacion, so am- ple a matter Tullie doeth note this parte to be.

¶ The theme or proposicion of this Oracion.

[Fol. xxv.r]

It is not like to be true, that is said of the battaill of Troie.

¶ The reprehension of the auc- thor, and of all Poetes.

NOt without a cause, the vanities of Poetes are to bee reproued, and their forged inuencions to bee reiected: in whose writynges, so manifestlie are set forthe as a truthe, and Chronicled to the posteritie of ages and times, soche forged mat- [Sidenote: The vanities of Poetes.] ters of their Poeticall and vain wittes. Who hath not heard of their monsterous lies against God, thei inuentyng a gene- alogie of many Goddes procreated, where as there is but one God. This vanitie also thei haue set forthe, in their mo- numentes and woorkes. How a conspiracie was sometyme emong the Goddes and Goddes, to binde the great God Iu- piter. How impudentlie doe thei set forthe the Goddes, to bee louers of women, and their adulterous luste: and how thei haue transformed theim selues, into diuers shapes of beastes and foules, to followe after beastly luste. The malice and en- uie of the Goddes, one to an other: The feigne also the heaue[n] to haue one God, the sea an other, helle an other, whiche are mere vanities, and false imaginacio[n]s of their Poeticall wit- tes. The like forged inuencion haue thei wrote, of the migh- [Sidenote: The battaill of Troie .x. yeres for a herlotte.] tie and terrible battaill bruted of Troie, for a beautifull har- lot susteined ten yeres. In the whiche, not onely men and no- ble péeres, gaue the combate of battaile, but the Goddes toke partes against Goddes, and men wounded Goddes: as their [Sidenote: The vain in- uention of Poetes.] lies exceade all nomber, because thei bee infinite, so also thei passe all truthe, reason, and iudgemente. These fewe exam- ples of their vanities and lies, doe shewe the feigned ground and aucthoritie of the reste. Accordyng to the folie and super- sticiousnes of those tymes, thei inuented and forged folie vp- pon folie, lye vpon lye, as in the battaill of Troie, thei aggra- uate the dolour of the battaill, by pitifull and lamentable in- [Sidenote: Plato reie- cteth Poetes from the com[-] mon wealth.] uencion. As for the Poetes them selues, Plato in his booke, made vpon the administracion of a common wealth, maketh [Fol. xxv.v] theim in the nomber of those, whiche are to bee banished out of all common wealthes.

¶ The exposicion.

HOmere dooeth saie, and many other Poetes, that the warres of the Grecians against the Troians, was for beautifull Helena, and continued tenne yeres. The Goddes and Goddis toke partes, and all the people of Grece, aided Menelaus, and the kyng Aga- memnon, to bryng home again Helena, neclecting their own countrie, their wife and chidre[n], for one woma[n]. The Grekes inuentyng a huge and mightie horse made of Firre trée, and couered with brasse, as huge as a mou[n]tain, out of the whiche the Grecians by treason issuyng, brought Troie to ruine.

¶ The obscuritie of the matter.

IT semeth a matter of folie, that so many people, so mightie nacions should bee bewitched, to raise so mightie a armie, hassardyng their liues, leauyng their countrie, their wiues, their children, for one [Sidenote: Helena.] woman: Be it so, that Helena passed all creatures, and that Nature with beautie had indued her with all vertue, and sin- gularitie: yet the Grecians would not be so foolishe, that vni- uersallie thei would seke to caste doune their owne wealthe, and moche more the common wealthe of Grece, and kyng- dome to stande in perill. Neither is it to be thought, the Gre- cians, sekyng to aduau[n]ce the beautie of Helena: would leaue [Sidenote: The cause of the forged in- uencion.] their owne state. But it is like, the wittes of Poetes did im- magine so forged a Chronicle, that the posteritie of ages fol- lowyng, should rather wounder at their forged inuencion, then to beleue any soche warre truly mencioned. There was no soche cause, seyng that the kyngdome of Grece, fell by no title of succession to Helena, for them to moue warre, for, the bringyng backe of that beutifull harlotte Helena. Neither in Helena was there vertue, or honestie of life, to moue and ex- asperate the Grecians, to spende so greate treasures, to raise [Fol. xxvj.r] [Sidenote: No commen- dacion in vp- holdyng and maintainyng of harlottes.] so mightie an armie on euery side. What comme[n]dacion had the Troians to aduaunce Helena, and with all roialnesse to entreate her, she beyng a harlotte: the folie of the Grecians and the Troians, is so on euery side so greate, that it can not be thought, soche a warre truely chronicled. If violence and power, had taken Helena from her housebande, and not her [Sidenote: Helena follo- wed Paris.] owne will and luste, caught with the adulterous loue of Pa- ris, beyng a straunger. If her moderacion of life had been so rare, as that the like facte for her chastitie, had not been in a- ny age or common wealthe, her vertues would haue giuen occasion: The Princes and nobles of Grece to stomacke the matter. The example of the facte, would with all praise and [Sidenote: Uertuous life, worthie commendaci- on in al ages. Lucrecia. Tarquinius the kyng ba- nished for ra- uishyng Lu- crecia, and all of his name banished.] commendacion be mencioned, and celebrated to al ages. Lu- cretia for her chastite, is perpetuallie to be aduanunced, wher- vpon the Romaines banished Tarquinius their kyng, his stocke and name from Rome. The rare chastite of Penelope, is remainyng as a example herein: So many snares laied to caste doune her vertuous loue towarde her housebande U- lisses. But Ulisses made hauocke by murder, on these gaie and gallante Ruffins, who in his absence sought to alienate [Sidenote: Penelopes chastitie.] and withdrawe, the chaste harte of Penelope, consumyng his substance. A greater example remaineth in no age, of the like chastite. As for the battaile of Troie, raised for Helena, could wise men, and the moste famous nobles of Grece: So occupie their heddes, and in thesame, bothe to hasarde their liues for a beautifull strumpet or harlot. The sage and wise [Sidenote: Nestor. Ulisses.] Nestor, whom Agamemnon for wisedome preferred, before the moste of the péeres of Grece, neither it Ulisses wanted at thesame tyme, hauyng a politike and subtill hedde, to with- drawe theim from so leude and foolishe a enterprise. Grece [Sidenote: Grece the lande of faire women.] wanted not beautifull creatures, Nature in other had besto- wed amiable faces, personage, and comelie behauiour. For, at those daies, Grece thei called _Achaida calligunaica_, that is, Grece the lande of faire women. The dolorous lamentacion of the Ladies and Matrons in Grece, would haue hindered [Fol. xxvj.v] soche a foolishe enterprise, seyng their owne beautie neclec- ted, their honestie of life caste vp to perilles, one harlot of in- [Sidenote: Uncomelie.] numerable people followed and hunted after, in whom neither honestie, vertue, nor chastite was harbored.

¶ Uncredible.

ALthough the folie of men is greate, and the will of princes and gouernours beastlie and rashe, yet by no meanes it can be so many yeres, so greate folie to take roote in their hartes, and that the wisedom [Sidenote: Beautie without ver- tue, nothyng of valour.] of the Grecia[n]s, should not rather caste of as naught, the beau- tie of Helena: rather then the whole multitude, the state of the Prince, the welfare of the subiecte, to stande in perill for [Sidenote: Beautie a poison, in a adulterous mynde.] the beautie of one. What is beautie, when a beastlie and ad- ulterous minde is possessed: Beautie without chastitie, har- boreth a monsterous rabelmente of vices, a snare and baite, [Sidenote: Beautie sone fadeth.] to poison other. Beautie in fewe yeres, is not onely blemi- shed, but decaied, and wholie extinguished: it is vncredible, that the Grecians would seeke to bryng home Helena, who had loste the chaste loue toward her housband, beyng caught [Sidenote: Paris Hele- nas louer. Phrigia.] with the adulterous loue of Paris, soonne to Priamus kyng of Troie. The lande of Phrigia was a mightie Region, the people noble, puissaunte in warre: the kyng for nobilitie of actes famous. The Citee of Troie, wherein the kyng helde his Scepter of gouernement, was riche, mightie, and popu- lous: ruled and gouerned, by the wisedome and policie of fa- mous counsailours, so that by all meanes it is vncredible, [Sidenote: Uncomelie.] without any possibilitie. Thei neclectyng their owne state and kyngdo[m], so to preferre the beautie of one, that the whole multitude of Grece thereby to perishe. It is a matter vncre- [Sidenote: Grece the fountain of al learnyng.] dible in all Grece, whiche for the fame of wisedome, is moste celebrated emong all nacions, not one wiseman at thesame tyme to be therein: whose cou[n]saile and politike heddes, might ponder a better purpose. Grece, whiche was the mother and fountaine of all artes and sciences, all Eloquence, Philoso- phie, wisedome flowyng from theim, and yet wisedome to [Fol. xxvij.r] want in their breastes. Reason can not make any perswasion that any probabilitie can rise, of any soche matter enterpri- sed, what could the intent be of the Grecians, as concerning [Sidenote: Menelaus housbande to Helena.] Menelaus. In Menelaus there was no wisedom, to seke and hunte after Helena, or by any meanes to possesse her, she be- yng a harlotte, her loue alienated, her hart possessed with the loue of an other manne: foolishlie he hopeth to possesse loue, [Sidenote: Harlottes loue dissem- bled.] that seeketh to enioye the cloked, poisoned, and dissembled harte of a harlotte, Grece was well ridde of a harlotte, Troie [Sidenote: Troians.] harbouryng Helena. In the Troians it is not to be thought, that either the kyng, or nobles, for a harlotte, would see the the people murthered, their owne state, the king to be in dan- [Sidenote: Grecians.] ger of ruine. In the Grecians there was neither wisedome, neither commendacion, to pursue with a maine hoste, with a greate Nauie of Shippes, to bryng backe againe a harlotte, whose enterprise rather might better bee borne, to banishe & exile soche a beastlie disposed persone. The Troians mighte [Sidenote: Absurditie.] well scorne the Grecians, if that the possession of a beautifull moste amiable, and minsyng harlotte, was of soche valour, estimacion, and price with theim, not onely the beautie of all other to bee reiected. But moste of all the vertuous life, and chastitie of all their matrons and honourable Ladies, to bee caste of as naught. Grece that had the name of all wisedome, [Sidenote: The defence of Helena.] of all learnyng and singularitie, might rather worthelie bee called, a harbouryng place of harlottes: a Stewe and vphol- der of whoredome, and all vncleanes. Wherefore, these ab- surdities ought to bee remoued, from the minde and cogita- cion of all menne, that should worthelie ponder the state of [Sidenote: Troie a king[-] dome of whor[-] dome.] Grece. Troie of like sorte to bee a kyngdome and common wealthe of all vice: whoredome in soche price with the kyng, and people, that moste fortunate should the harlotte bee, and the adulterour in soche a common wealthe, that for adulte- rous loue, putteth rather all their state to hasarde and perill, for the maintenaunce of beastlie loue, brutishe societie moste in price with soche a nacion, chastitie, and moderaciou of life, [Fol. xxvij.v] abandoned and caste of.

¶ Unpossible, and not agreyng.

[Sidenote: Nature ab- horreth the warre of the Grecians.] IF wee weigh naturall affeccion, it can not bee, that the Grecians so moche abhorring fro[m] nature, should cast of the naturall loue of their wifes, their children and countrie, to bryng home againe, by slaughter of infinite people: soche an one as had left honestie, and chaste loue of her housbande. For, what praise can redounde to the Greci- [Sidenote: Helena.] ans by warre, to bryng home Helena, though she of all crea- tures was moste beautifull, beyng a harlotte: followyng the bridell and will of an other man. Maie shame or commenda- cion rise to the Troians, can wisedome, counsaile, or grauitie, [Sidenote: Priamus.] defende the adulterous luste of Priamus soonne, yea, could Priamus so loue Helena, for Paris his sonnes sake, as that he had rather venter the ruine and destruccion of his citée, and the falle of his people, the murder and ruine of his children, and wife for the beautie of one. For what is beautie, where honestie and vertue lacketh, it is an vncomly matter, though the Poetes so faigne it, not onely that in heauen, a contencio[n] should fall emong the Goddises of their beautie, or that Iu- piter of whom thei make an ignoraunt God, to chuse Paris the kynges sonne of Troie, chief arbitratour & Iudge of that matter, to who[m] he should giue the golde[n] Apell to her beautie, as chief of al other, was ascribed these thynges, are vndecent to thinke of the Goddeses, and moste of all, to thinke there is more Goddes then one. And euen as these are vanities, and forged imaginacions of the Goddes, so of the battaile.

¶ Uncomelie and vnprofitable.